


A Love That's Insured

by positronic



Series: Ironhusbands Bingo 2020 [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Ambiguous Relationships, Couch Cuddles, Developing Relationship, First Meetings, Gen, Hospitals, Injury, Injury Recovery, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29051874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/positronic/pseuds/positronic
Summary: Apparently, people had tried to kidnap Tony one too many times and now Howard and Maria were pushing bodyguards on him left and right. As Howard had put it, the kidnappings “weren’t good for business,” but Tony thought this was taking it a stretch too far.--Written for Ironhusbands Bingo squares B3: Bodyguard AU / G3: Howard Stark / O3: "I'm used to the pain."
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark
Series: Ironhusbands Bingo 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838683
Comments: 7
Kudos: 42
Collections: Ironhusbands Bingo 2020





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Somehow I have managed to finish a bingo line on my card, and I am very proud of myself! There were a lot of squares on my card that called to me, but I wanted to at least get a line down. Maybe in the future I'll attempt more of them, but for now at least I finished a line.
> 
> Each chapter fills its own square, in the order listed in the summary.
> 
> And thank you so much to Faustess for beta-ing these few fills for me!

“So… what’s your name, then?” Tony asked, head tilted down and looking at the man over the brim of his sunglasses. 

The man in front of him was tall, back ramrod-straight, and had his hands behind his back like he was at parade rest. Knowing Howard, that could very well be the case. Apparently, people had tried to kidnap Tony one too many times and now Howard and Maria were pushing bodyguards on him left and right. As Howard had put it, the kidnappings “weren’t good for business,” but Tony thought this was taking it a stretch too far. Tony had already gone through at least ten different bodyguards, having managed to scare them all off within 72 hours, and was hoping to keep up the streak this time around.

“James Rhodes, sir,” the man replied, eyes still straight ahead, and thus right over the top of Tony’s head. Tony wrinkled his nose. 

There were _so_ many things wrong with that statement. Like, so many.

“Okay, first off, do not call me ‘sir.’ Call me Tony. ‘Sir’ makes me seem old,” Tony said, and pointedly ignored the breath Rhodes huffed out through his nose. “Second, we need to do something about that name. Who names their kid _James?_ You need something more original. I can’t have someone around me with such a plebian name.”

At that, Rhodes frowned and looked down at Tony. “There’s nothing wrong with my name. It’s a fine name.”

Tony shook his head and crossed his arms. “Absolutely not. It’s boring. If you’re going to be around me and getting in my way as much as my father wants you to be, you need something else. What do your friends call you?”

“James, or Jim, typically,” Rhodes said, voice uncertain. He looked at Tony like he was speaking a whole other language, and something about that thrilled Tony. But still, neither was a good fit. 

“Okay, well, as much as I like Star Trek, I don’t think Jim works either, buddy. You’re no Kirk,” Tony said, then backed up a step, and circled around Rhodes, looking him over.

“Yeah, well, you’re no Spock either, Stark,” Rhodes said, something more playful in his voice, before he realized what he said and snapped his jaw shut. That rigid posture was back, and he seemed to almost be holding his breath.

Tony stared at him for a moment before a grin broke out on his face and he let out a startled laugh. He walked around back to Rhodes’ front and beamed up at him. 

“I like you. I think we’ll get along just fine, Rhodes. Rhododendron. Rhodeyyy,” Tony said, then cocked his head to the side. “I guess Rhodey works for now. It’s not my most creative, but we’ll go with it.”

Rhodey relaxed as Tony rambled, but his face still looked like he had sucked on a lemon, much to Tony’s entertainment. 

“I still think just James is fine, Stark.”

“Nonsense,” Tony said, looping an arm with one of Rhodey’s. “Rhodey it is. Now, come on. I’m hungry, and my delicate mortal body must be protected as I consume a cheeseburger. Also, I thought I told you to call me Tony.”

Rhodey huffed and shook his head, but let Tony drag him along.


	2. Reeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a press conference goes wrong, Tony holds a vigil alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fills the square G3: Howard Stark, though he is only mentioned and doesn't appear "on screen."

Tony’s phone rang where it was tucked into his pants pocket, the vibrations echoing in the quiet of the room, but he couldn’t bring himself to silence it. Everything about the whole situation was  _ wrong _ .

The walls were too white, the smell too clean, and the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor was seconds away from driving Tony up the wall. 

But he still couldn’t move from the chair he had parked himself in hours prior.

The phone buzzed against his thigh again and with shaking hands he dug it out, angrily tapping at the screen to silence the vibrations. The number of missed calls he had was exponentially increasing, as were the number of voicemails and text messages filling up his inbox. Hell, he probably had a multitude of new emails too. 

His fingers involuntarily clenched around the phone, knuckles turning white in frustration, eyes drifting to stare at a piece of lint on his pants. Everything was just too much, fear and dread filling his head and shoving everything else out of the way. He didn’t know the last time he had eaten. 

A flash on the screen caught his eye and he looked back down at the phone. A text from Howard glared back at him.

_ “Your mother and I have been calling you for hours, Tony. Pick up the fucking phone right now, or I swear I—” _

The message preview cut off there, but even the few words were enough to make Tony’s hands shake with anger again. He stared at the phone for another moment, breathing heavily through his nose, before he angrily stood up and chucked his phone against the far wall, shattering the screen and sending bits everywhere. 

Tony collapsed back into the chair he was sitting in, heart pounding. He tore his gaze away from the mess on the floor back to Rhodey’s body on the hospital bed in front of him. 

Rhodey was still asleep, heart monitor beeping along just fine, just as he had been for the past however long.

Tony hadn’t even seen the guy stand up at the back of the press conference and aim a gun at him. One second he was answering a reporter’s question and the next Rhodey was on top of him, bleeding profusely from his arm where he had taken the bullet meant for Tony.

Everything had happened so quickly and before he knew it, Tony had bullied his way onto the ambulance with Rhodey, and he had been stuck in the waiting room for hours as they worked to patch him up. The doctors had rambled on about blood loss and shattered bone, and every word just served to take chunk after chunk out of Tony’s heart.

Just the thought of it all made Tony sick. He knew it was Rhodey’s job, that’s what Howard had hired him for, after all, but Tony couldn’t stomach the fact that  _ his Rhodey _ had gotten hurt protecting him.

When Rhodey woke up, they’d have some words, that’s for sure. Until then, Tony would stay here, watching over Rhodey, just as Rhodey did for him. 


	3. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony hovers like a mother hen, and Rhodey isn't having any of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fills the square O3: "I'm used to the pain."

“Tony, you need to back up, man. I’m fine. I took my meds, and I’m used to the little bit of pain that it doesn’t stop. It’s nothing I can’t handle,” Rhodey said, pushing Tony away with his uninjured arm. Tony frowned and reached out to help again, before catching himself and pulling his arm away, taking a step back from Rhodey.

“Sorry. I… uh. Sorry,” Tony said, watching as Rhodey walked back to the corner of the couch he had claimed for the past week. He collapsed onto his and started flipping through the channels on the TV.

After being excused from the hospital, Tony had ignored all of his responsibilities, much to Howard’s disappointment, and had practically moved in with Rhodey to help in his recovery. He was doing much better, but reaching things on high shelves or getting himself dressed had proved a little difficult with his whole left arm out of service.

“You hungry? I can cook… or we can order something?” Tony asked, still standing in the middle of the room, glancing over to the kitchen anxiously. 

Rhodey looked from the TV to Tony, expression almost pitying. 

“Tony. It’s only three. I’m still full from lunch. I’m fine,” he said, then pat the space next to him. “I thought you wanted to watch  _ Alien. _ ”

“I do,” Tony said sheepishly, finally moving from his spot and taking a seat next to Rhodey. Despite Rhodey’s insistence that he was fine, Tony grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and threw it over Rhodey’s legs, to which Rhodey just rolled his eyes fondly. 

“Now, you better not start criticizing every single scientific thing about this movie, or I will shove you right off this couch,” Rhodey said, turning on the movie.

Tony just laughed and nudged Rhodey’s shoulder with his.

“No promises, honeybear.”

Rhodey turned to glare at him playfully and Tony just grinned back.

The two of them were silent for the first few minutes of the film, until Tony lost focus again, thinking back to the past few days and time spent in the hospital. Tony sighed softly and reached over to take Rhodey’s hand in his.

“I’m…” Tony started, and Rhodey’s head turned sharply to meet Tony’s gaze.

“If you try and apologize for this one more time I will actually kick you out of my apartment,” Rhodey said. “It was my job, and even if it wasn’t, I would have done it anyway. I know what I signed up for. Shut the hell up.”

Tony huffed out a laugh. “I didn’t even say anything.”

“No, but I know you. Now watch the movie. We’re missing it,” Rhodey said, pulling on Tony’s hand.

Tony moved so he was slumped against Rhdoey’s side, the good one, and rested his head on Rhodey’s shoulder, relaxing against his warmth. He took a few deep breaths and turned his head to press his forehead against Rhodey’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” Tony mumbled, voice muffled against the fabric of Rhodey’s shirt. Rhodey didn’t respond, but he brought their joined hands up to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the back of Tony’s. Tony grinned and turned his head back to the screen. 


End file.
